


I hate Christmas parties

by akhikaru



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Betrayal, Christmas, Community: rainbowfilling, First Meetings, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-27
Updated: 2014-09-27
Packaged: 2019-05-21 12:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14915573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akhikaru/pseuds/akhikaru
Summary: Sho hates Christmas parties, but who can blame him?





	I hate Christmas parties

**Author's Note:**

> For the rainbowfilling prompt "Pop the cork". Sorry for making Nino the bad guy. Title was taken from a song I like.

_"Ninomiya-san!" Sho waved and smiled brightly when the other man passed through the door of the fancy restaurant._

_"Ah, Sho-kun!" Ninomiya greeted him. "Have you waited too long?"_

_"No, I just arrived," Sho lied. He had been waiting for over an hour and was starting to fear that Ninomiya had had second thoughts about his invitation. "Please, take a seat."_

_Sho was very nervous. It was his first date in years. And with Ninomiya Kazunari, his long-time crush! He had to make a great effort to not show how excited he was about it. He didn't want to seem too desperate that Ninomiya would run away from him. Fortunately, the dinner went perfectly and they really connected, or at least that's what Sho felt._

_"Let's make a toast," Ninomiya said and popped the cork of the champagne bottle. "To us."_

_Sho blushed lightly and raised his glass. "To us."_

 

The alarm clock was louder than ever. It was three in the morning, exactly three hours before his usual wake up time. If it was up to him, he'd smash that demoniac object with his fist and spend the rest of the day under the warm shelter of his fluffy covers. But no, he didn't have a choice, not when he had worked his ass off for months to get that deal with SMAP Enterprises. The chairman of the said company announced nonchalantly that he'd be leaving for Hong Kong at 11:00 a.m. and instead of offering the choice to do a video-conference, like any rational creature would, his boss decided to program a meeting at 7:00 a.m.

Sho groaned and crawled out of bed. His boss had ordered him to be at the office at 5:30 to finish the last details about the meeting. Sho had the slight impression that the man only did it with the specific purpose of pissing him off. _Who on earth prepares a meeting at freaking 5:30 a.m.!_ Sho sighed and got ready. He took a short shower, put on his best suit, drank a cup of coffee and rushed to his car. It was freezing outside, and he hated it. Traffic wasn't heavy at that hour of the day, but he didn't live near the office. He had to cross half Tokyo to get there.

"Good morning, Yukimura-kun," he greeted the security guard, still feeling half-asleep.

"Sakurai-san, good morning!" the man bowed. "I heard you're closing a big deal today. Good luck!"

"Thanks!" Sho smiled and went to the elevator.

Rumors traveled fast in Infinity Inc., especially because the higher-ups were so imprudent and loud. Sho could bet that the security guard knowing about his meeting meant that his boss was bragging about his business deals _again_. Sho didn't like that. Half of the employees hated him and looked for an opportunity to crash him, and the other half just wanted to be near him to steal his clients. Working in the financial industry was by no means a peaceful way of living.

Sho went to his office and checked for the nth time that everything was perfectly arranged. This was his chance to shine and finally get that promotion to Junior Executive he'd been aiming for since three years ago. _Three years… wow, when did I become such a workaholic?_ Sho bit his lip when the answer slowly came to his mind and shook his head. He didn't need this kind of thoughts in such a decisive day.

 

_They were lying on a futon side by side, covered only by a thin blanket after making love for hours. Sho loved this kind of days when they could just forget about the office, the meetings, the incessant calls from their clients… It was his definition of Paradise._

_"I love you," Sho whispered in Ninomiya's ear. "I love you so much."_

_"Me too," Ninomiya replied and nuzzled Sho's neck. He always gave Sho the same reply. 'Me too', never 'I love you'. They had been together for two years and the man had never said he loved Sho. It made Sho feel a bit insecure. However, Ninomiya never gave him any reason to doubt him and therefore he didn't think much of it._

_"Kazunari-san…" Sho said. "I… I've been thinking about it and… umm…"_

_"Yes?"_

_Sho gulped. He knew this was exactly the reason he came here today, but now, when he was about to actually ask that question, he became speechless. He had to take a deep breath before blurting out: "I would like to move in with you."_

_Ninomiya gaped. Then he moved away from Sho and looked at the ceiling with a frown on his face. "I'm sorry, Sho-kun, but I don't think we should," he said._

_"Eh?" Sho widened his eyes. He had been so certain that his lover wouldn't reject him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked. Now, seeing Ninomiya's reaction, he started getting confused. "Why not? I mean, we've been together for so long! And we also work for the same company, we have friends in common…"_

_"Sho-kun, we're not ready for that."_

_Sho felt the anger rising in his chest. 'Not ready'? If three years together wasn't long enough to 'be ready', then how much longer did he have to wait? It was bad enough that Ninomiya didn't want people to know the truth behind their relationship and kept introducing him as his 'friend'. Sho was about to snap at him, but he didn't want to ruin the mood._

_"Okay…"_

 

Sho finished his presentation. The chairman of SMAP Enterprises was looking at him in awe, as though Sho had just given him the solution to all of his problems. Sho's boss had a proud smile on his face.

"That's fantastic!" the chairman said. "So, where do I sign?"

Sho exchanged a happy glance with his boss and produced a contract from a blue folder he was holding against his chest. The man signed, they shook hands, and with that, it was sealed.

"That was incredible Sakurai-kun!" his boss congratulated him. "SMAP Enterprises is the biggest client we've landed in years, good job!"

"Thanks." Sho smiled sheepishly.

"Nakai-san seemed so happy! That man has a reputation for being hard to deal with, but you convinced him right away!" Sho's boss commented and smacked him right on the back of his head.

"Thanks, Murakami-san." Sho rubbed his head. His boss had the habit of smacking people in the head out of the blue all the time. He didn't even know how to feel about it anymore.

"Let's have lunch together today to celebrate. My treat." Murakami grinned. "I have a meeting with the committee in an hour. We're going to discuss something concerning you."

Sho grinned. It _had_ to be about that position as the Junior Executive. He nodded and went back to his office. The morning passed in almost the blink of an eye for him since he was so excited. His boss was still with the committee when his lunch hour started. The man texted him an apology and promised to treat him to dinner instead. Sho decided to go out by himself then, for he was quite hungry.

The streets were snowy. Christmas was just around the corner. Sho stared at the beautiful decorations hanging outside the shops and felt a bit of pain in his heart. This time of the year wasn't easy for him, not since the Christmas Eve of three years ago. It would have been too extreme to affirm he hated Christmas, but maybe he did. He continued walking, trying to prevent spoiling his good mood with gloomy memories. He wasn't even looking ahead, which is why he ended up colliding with a couple.

"Ah, I'm so sorry!" Sho bowed and helped the man pick up some bags from the icy pavement.

"Thanks."

Sho froze when he heard the man's voice. "N-Ninomiya-san…?"

"Eh?" The man took a good look at Sho's face. "Ah, it's Sakurai-kun! Long time no see!"

Sho's lip twitched. "Yes…"

"Who is he, Kazunari?" the woman next to him asked.

"We used to work for the same company, didn't we, Sakurai-kun?"

"Yes," Sho mumbled. "I… I have to go now, excuse me." He bowed again and rushed into the first place he found. His heart was beating like crazy. It seemed that three years hadn't been enough for him to get over it.

 

_"You have to work tonight?"_

_Sho was already used to spending every Christmas with Ninomiya. This would be the fifth one since the first time Ninomiya accepted to have dinner with him._

_"Yes. I'm sorry, Sho-kun. I really wanted to spend Christmas with you, but you know how Nishikido-san is. He insisted we had to finish that tonight…"_

_"Oh, it's okay… I'll just do something by myself." Sho smiled weakly._

_"Thanks. I knew you'd understand me." Ninomiya stroked Sho's cheek and left afterwards._

_"Liar…" Sho mumbled to himself. He knew Nishikido had left the country two days earlier to spend the holidays in Bali with his wife._

_Some of his co-workers dragged him to the company's annual Christmas party. They were playing with some random Christmas-themed CD one of them bought in America. They made Sho sing a song of the list. A verse got stuck in his head, like a premonition._

_"I look under the tree, but there's nothing to see, cause it's a broken heart that you're giving me."_

 

"I want a table for one, please," Sho told the woman in the counter. He was desperate to focus on something else, to distract his mind from Ninomiya.

"I'm sorry, sir, we don't have any vacant tables at the moment."

"Ah, really?" Sho felt a bit scared. Ninomiya was right on the other side of the street, walking hand in hand with that woman. He didn't want to go out and run into them again. _But if it can't be helped…_

"If you want, you can sit over here," a man called Sho from the other side of the restaurant. By his clothes, Sho deduced he was probably the owner. The man was signaling to a table where another man was sitting. Sho couldn't see the sitting man's face from his position though.

"Ah, no… It's okay, I don't want to disturb—"

"You're not disturbing anyone, sir, I can assure you," the restaurant owner said with an encouraging smile. Sho bowed and approached the table slowly, doubting that this could be a good idea.

"Then… I'll take a seat. Thanks."

Sho sat and saw the man sitting across him. Sho noticed that the man was looking at him with an annoyed expression. _Crap._ "I hope you don't mind. I can wait until someone leaves if it's a problem."

"I don't mind."

Their eyes met just for an instant, but it was more than enough for Sho to notice the loneliness in those sleepy eyes. _He's just like me…_ The other man ignored his presence and continued eating in silence. Sho felt the sudden urgency to talk with him, to say something. And so he did.

"Is that mapo tofu?" Sho felt stupid for stating the obvious, especially when the man dropped his chopsticks and shot him a death glare. "S-Sorry! It's just… It l-looks really good," Sho mumbled and looked down in embarrassment.

"It's the best dish here," was the reply Sho obtained. He didn't want the conversation to end so fast though.

"Really? Then I think I'll have the same!"Sho replied with a smile. He caught the man examining his face closely, making him blush a little. After a few seconds, the man averted his gaze and mumbled something unintelligible.

Sadly for him, every further attempt to strike a conversation failed. No matter what he said, the most he got was an 'hmm'. The food was incredible, so at least that part wasn't a complete failure. He made sure to thank the owner, who was unexpectedly nice to him. He and the woman in the counter invited him to stop by whenever he wanted to.

On his way back to the office, Sho couldn't take the man with sleepy eyes off his mind. There was definitely something that made him feel intrigued by him.

 

_It was the day after the Christmas party, a Saturday. He was alone in his apartment watching a movie wrapped in a blanket. Ninomiya hadn't called, he hadn't stopped by either. It wasn't normal._

_"Maybe I should call him once." Sho bit his lip looking at his phone. "Just to make sure he's alright."_

_He dialed the number and waited. "Who is this?" Ninomiya said. There was a lot of noise in the background: a cork popping, people cheering, a DJ talking to his audience while a drunken man yelled at the bartender for being so slow. Ninomiya was obviously not at the office. A woman started giggling and whining next to Ninomiya. "Just a sec, babe. Who is this? Hello?"_

_Sho hung up._

 

"Sho-kun, want to have lunch together?"

"Hmmm?" Sho raised his eyes from his laptop's screen. "Ah, Yokoyama-san! Thank you, but I already have plans."

"What's with you lately? You always disappear at lunchtime!" Yokoyama complained. "You never hang out with us Executives, even after you got that raise! Is it that you don't like us?"

Sho smiled. "It's nothing like that, really! I have to go."

Indeed, during the last two weeks, he always went out for lunch by himself in spite of the multiple invitations he received from the other Executives. His destination was always the same. His feet had memorized the road, so he usually found himself standing in front of that counter before he could even notice it.

"Sakurai-san, welcome back!"

"Good afternoon, Chie-san," Sho greeted the woman. Since he had been coming back every day, he was already acquainted with the owners of the restaurant, Matsumoto Chie and Jun.

"It's nice to see you, Sakurai-san." Jun smiled at him. "Same table?"

Sho nodded with a sheepish look. He wasn't sure whether his interest in that man whom the owners called 'oniisan' was too obvious, but Matsumoto had saved for him the table nearest to the one used by the other man every single day. It was also a happy coincidence that the man always showed up at the same time Sho came for lunch.

A few minutes later, the man entered carrying a big painting. Sho had deduced some days ago the man must be an artist, yet he hadn't asked anything so far. Ohno went straight to his table, as predicted.

"Oh, it's you again!" Sho said, a bit too cheerfully. "How are you doing today?"

"Fine."

The man's responses were always like that. Sho didn't really mind it. He hoped that with time he'd be able to crack that cold façade and know the man better. _I'm sure we would really get along!_

"Do you always eat mapo tofu?" Sho asked when he saw Jun carrying the steaming bowl to Ohno's table. "I've been watching you the last couple of weeks, and you always order the same thing."

"Do you always stalk random people at restaurants?"

Sho paled. He regretted saying those words right away. _What the hell was I thinking!?_ "S-Sorry! I didn't mean to…"

"Then shut up and let me eat in peace, will you? You're so annoying!"

The words echoed through Sho's mind. _You're so annoying._ Sho lowered his head. _I ruined it…_ He finished his meal in silence and went away in low spirits. The man at the restaurant was right. Why was he doing this anyway? Being so fixated on a stranger about whom he didn't know anything was not a good sign. He made a resolution to never go back to that restaurant.

 

_"You're so annoying! Can't you leave me in peace?"_

_One week. Sho couldn't believe his lover had changed so much in just one week. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"_

_"You're annoying! A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G! Need me to write it down so that you can understand it, Sakurai?"_

_"Wow…" Sho chuckled. "You sure have changed lately Kazunari. Is it because you got tired of my cock and went to hop on something else?"_

_Ninomiya laughed. "Don't give yourself so much importance, Sakurai. You're not even that good in bed."_

_Sho watched as the man made his way out of the apartment with his fists clenched._

 

His feet betrayed him again.

He was in the restaurant, in front of the counter where Chie always greeted him with a wide smile. Jun tried to take him to the usual table but Sho refused, leaving the perplexed restaurant owner behind. He sat next to the window, as far as he could from the other man's table. Nevertheless, he couldn't help staring at him every second. _I don't want this. I have to stop looking at him!_ It was impossible to keep his eyes off of him.

"What's wrong with you!?" the other man had walked to his table and was looking at him with furious eyes. "Stop looking at me, for God's sake! You're so creepy!"

Sho bit his lower lip with his head hanging low. _Yes, I know I'm creepy…_ He felt the urgency to explain that he had tried not to do it but wasn't able to stop, that he really wanted to know him and seeing him every day made him feel not so lonely anymore. _But that doesn't make sense!_

"I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to make you uncomfortable," was all he mumbled before storming off the restaurant.

Sho walked at a fast pace. He needed to get away from that place as soon as possible. He felt so ashamed that he thought he'd never be able to see that man's face again without wishing the earth swallowed him. He panicked when someone grabbed his arm.

"Wait!" It was the man from the restaurant—Sho already knew his voice so well. "Sorry, I was rude to you."

"It's okay you don't need to apologize for anything. I must have been very weird!" Sho laughed bitterly. "I won't disturb you again, I promise. I will have lunch somewhere else."

"You don't have to!"

"I have to!" Sho snapped. "S-Sorry, sorry… I… I have to go!" 

Sho turned to leave but the man caught his arm once again. He turned around to face him and silently prayed this man wouldn't punch him or something similar.

"What's your name?"

Sho blinked. The man sounded much calmer this time. "Sakurai Sho."

"Sakurai-san, do you want to join me for lunch tomorrow?"

Sho was in shock. _Did I hear it well?_ He blushed. "What!? No! It's okay, really, you don't—"

"Hmm? I thought you only stared at me because you wanted to talk. Was I wrong?"

Sho felt his face heating up. The stranger _had_ noticed him. "But you think I'm annoying," Sho mumbled.

The man looked at him with an amused expression and chuckled. "Will you accept or not?"

"Okay." Sho nodded. "Then…"

"Tomorrow at my table. My name is Ohno Satoshi, by the way."

Sho couldn't help putting his hopes up now. _Maybe Ohno-san is different._ He walked back to his office with a blissful smile plastered on his face.

 

_"Did you hear it? Ninomiya is getting married to the heiress of a big Zaibatsu!"_

_"Eh! No way!"_

_Sho was grieving over his broken heart after the breakup when he heard those rumors around the office. Apparently, he was the only one having a hard time moving on._

_"Yes! I heard that he got acquainted with her father through a deal they made, and then managed to meet the man's daughter."_

_"Which Zaibatsu?"_

_"Moriyama, I think."_

_Sho let the cup of coffee he was holding crash on the floor. Moriyama was one of his clients who mysteriously decided at last minute he was not going to make a deal with him, alleging he had a better offer. So it was Ninomiya who stole that client from him?_

_"He's quitting his position here now and will work with his father-in-law's company."_

_Sho ran to Ninomiya's office without thinking it twice._

 

The next day Sho felt really nervous. He hadn't been this nervous in his whole life, not even that time he asked Ninomiya out on Christmas. Ohno arrived at the same hour and was behaving like the previous days. Sho didn't have the courage to start a conversation, especially after knowing Ohno found him annoying. He had a good time anyway. Eating alone wasn't comfortable, and he really felt at ease with Ohno. Sho asked timidly if it would be okay to have lunch together again the next day and, to his utter surprise, Ohno agreed.

That's how the following months went by. He would sit with Ohno and have lunch together every day. Ohno hardly ever spoke, although in some occasions Sho was able to tell him a little about himself. He wasn't sure whether the man was listening or not, for he always kept the same blank expression.

One day on his way out, Sho met someone he didn't expect to see again in his whole life. All the good feelings vanished at once.

"Ninomiya…"

Ninomiya smirked. "So I was right. It was you after all."

They went to a park nearby and sat on a bench. Sho wasn't sure about what Ninomiya's intentions were. The man meant no good, he could see that. But what did he want?

"You're going after that semi-mute Ohno guy, huh?"

"What!?" Sho's eyes went wide in shock. "Who told you that? Have you been stalking me?"

"None of your business," Ninomiya replied. "I think it's better if you forget about him."

Sho laughed. "And since when do you care so much about what I do?"

"I don't care at all." Ninomiya shrugged. "I just think it'd be terrible if you were barking up the wrong tree… _again_."

Sho frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I know Ohno Satoshi. I work with him. My ex-wife loves his paintings."

"So she dumped you?"

Ninomiya snorted. "As if! I got bored of her and divorced to get the money. Best deal I've made in my life."

"Always so charming…"

"Whatever." Ninomiya rolled his eyes at Sho. "Ohno-san has been in love with the same person since he was young."

Not that Ninomiya was a reliable source by any means, but Sho couldn't help feeling curious. "He… he has someone?"

" _Had._ The guy died ten years ago when they got trapped in a mountain," Ninomiya said. "Aiba Masaki."

Sho hummed. "And? It's not like I want to date Ohno-san or anything. I just want to…"

"Be friends with him?" Ninomiya completed Sho's sentence. "Same bullshit you said about me, and we both know it wasn't true, was it?"

Sho lowered his head. "So what if I like him? Is that a sin now?"

"No, not at all," Ninomiya said. "But try to see it this way: you've been talking to him for months, he doesn't pay attention to you, and you have nothing that could possibly interest him. It's a dead end."

"What? How can you—!"

"You're a boring man Sakurai Sho. You can't even beat his dead boyfriend!" Ninomiya mocked him. "And unlike me, he can't gain any profit from being with you. Be honest, when has anyone approached you without expecting something in return?"

"Shut up!" Sho replied between gritted teeth. Ninomiya didn't stop speaking.

"The higher-ups in Infinity only like you because you're making a shitload of money for them. Same goes for co-workers who just want to get your contacts. And I believe you don't have a social life outside anymore, right?" Ninomiya laughed. "Why don't you leave him alone?"

Sho fought the tears that threatened to stream from his eyes and yelled: "Ohno-san is not a bastard like you!"

"It's up to you to believe it or not. I just tried to give you some advice. And for free, even!"

Ninomiya left and Sho kicked the bench where they were sitting, earning some weird glances from the people passing by. He hated that man. He was determined to ignore those words and go on with his life normally. However, they haunted him. Every time he faced Ohno and didn't even get a greeting, his heart broke a little.

What if Ninomiya was right? What if Ohno didn't really want him around? He had never said he liked Sho or that he enjoyed his company. Maybe he was accepting to bear with him out of pity or because Matsumoto was fond of Sho. This feeling of insecurity was consuming Sho so much that he lost his appetite and wasn't able to sleep properly.

"I can't go on like this," he said to himself. "I have to end it…"

And with that in mind, he went to the restaurant for the last time. Ohno acted as usual. He didn't talk to Sho or ask anything; he ate his mapo tofu in silence. Sho had a hard time hiding his feelings of despair. In the end, they exited the restaurant at the same time.

"Well, Ohno-san… Goodbye," Sho said with a smile and left.

Ohno waved and went in the opposite direction, not looking back even once. Sho couldn't take it anymore and sobbed in silence all the way to his office.

 

_"Why?"_

_Ninomiya cackled like a maniac._

_"I asked why!?"_

_"Money. Why else?" Ninomiya shrugged. "Oh, how sweet, you really thought I liked you?"_

_Sho only watched as Ninomiya picked up his belongings and walked away with a devious smirk._

 

It was the end of October, autumn would come to an end soon and winter would start. With the arrival of winter, Sho's energy always decreased. This year it was even worse. The orange leaves were still hanging on the weak branches of the trees and he already seemed a dead man. He didn't go to that restaurant again. He didn't try to contact or see Ohno and, as expected, that man didn't do anything either. He came to the conclusion that Ninomiya was right. Ohno never felt even for a second interested in him.

Sho looked out of the window of the coffee shop. Everyone seemed so happy. He, on the other hand, would probably be alone for the rest of his life. The sole thought was enough to bring tears to his eyes, which he wiped hastily with the back of his hand before taking a sip of coffee.

"Sakurai-san!"

Sho startled and observed the man in front of him with wide eyes. "O-Ohno-san!?"

"You never came back," Ohno said. There was a tone of reproach in his voice which Sho decided to ignore. _It might be just my imagination…_

"S-sorry! I… I've been busy…"

"You look very thin and pale. Have you been eating well?" Ohno furrowed his eyebrows. Sho could almost believe the man was truly worried about him.

"Maybe I haven't been taking care of myself properly these days." Sho chuckled. "But I'm fine, thanks for asking."

"Are you really fine? You seem sad."

Sho was getting irritated. Why was Ohno questioning him so much? Why was he talking to him as if he cared? "I'm not!"

"Sure? I think—"

Sho couldn't resist it anymore. Another minute and he'd break down in front of Ohno, something he promised himself not to do. "I'm fine Ohno-san. And with all due respect, I'd rather you didn't meddle in my private affairs and minded your own business." Sho stared right into Ohno's eyes. The man seemed to see right through his lies, as though he could read Sho's real thoughts. Sho hated that. "I'm taking my leave."

"Don't, please!" Ohno begged. "Stay with me for a while!"

"Ohno-san, don't force yourself. I know you don't enjoy my company. You hardly ever speak to me!" Sho sounded more hurt than he intended, but at least he was getting his point across. "Well, you're not the only one anyway," he added with a bitter laugh.

"I do enjoy your company, Sakurai-san. I've missed you." Ohno blushed as he spoke. "I feel so comfortable around you. People always complain about my attitude, but you're the only one who doesn't judge me. I'm not very talkative but… if you want, we can talk more from now on."

Sho's heart skipped a beat. _No, I can't get carried away so soon!_ "Is that what you really want or is it because you pity me for being a stupid lonely man?"

Ohno smiled at him. "I'm a stupid lonely man too, Sakurai-san, in case you haven't noticed."

"That you are indeed!" Sho laughed.

For the first time, Sho saw a different expression in Ohno's face. The man seemed genuinely happy to see him and that was all the encouragement Sho needed. They talked for hours. To Sho's surprise, Ohno was very willing to talk about his private life, including the part concerning Aiba Masaki. Sho deemed it was only fair for him to also tell Ohno everything about his own. They laughed, they cried, they held each other's hands under the table. Ohno even scolded him about Ninomiya, although Sho noticed that he wasn't really mad at him. When they were kicked out of the coffee shop by a not very friendly waitress, Sho kissed Ohno on the cheek. It was way more than he usually did on a first date, but he had a good feeling about it.

The next two months were quite pleasant for Sho. Being with Ohno was the most incredible thing that ever happened to him. It was a bit awkward when Sho asked Ohno if he would like to date him and the man answered: "then what the hell do you think we've been doing for a month?" while frowning, making Sho blush madly. Never mind his boss's quirks or the fact that he had a never-ending pile of work after he got that raise. Never mind Ninomiya trying so hard to bring him down every time he had the chance. Nothing could change the happiness he was feeling.

The Christmas party was the highlight of the year without a doubt. Everyone was shocked when he announced he wouldn't be able to stay until late that night. They bombarded him with questions after he said he was attending a Christmas party, the kind of event he had been avoiding for three years in a row. Fortunately, he was able to escape without giving too many explanations.

Sho had to run in his suit to make it on time; not that Ohno would mind it if he was a bit late, but Sho wanted that night to be perfect. The two of them had a great time. Across the room, he saw the Matsumoto couple smiling at them. Sho would thank them later. If it wasn't for their letting him sit with Ohno that day, this moment wouldn't have been possible.

They went to Ohno's apartment afterwards. It was the first time Ohno invited him over. Ohno had a bottle of champagne prepared, as well as some candles and soft music. It was completely different from that time he and Ninomiya made that meaningless toast years before, even if the words were similar. This time Sho _knew_ his feelings weren't one-sided. They talked for a while before they started kissing and Ohno dragged him to the bedroom.

"Sho…"

The way Ohno was kissing him made Sho wonder how long he had waited to do this. Ohno had moved to his neck as he got rid of their clothes. Sho stopped him. 

"What's wrong?" Ohno looked up at him with a confused expression.

"I… I'm afraid I'm not very good at this Ohno-san," Sho said.

"It's 'Satoshi'," Ohno whispered on his lips. "And so far you've been wonderful."

Sho smiled. Ohno really wanted him. Now he just needed to check something else before giving himself away completely.

"Satoshi, I…" Sho took a deep breath. "I love you."

Ohno's face went red. "I love you too," he replied with a grin and pressed his lips against Sho's.

This was the perfect Christmas gift. Scratch that, this was a real Christmas celebration.

**Author's Note:**

> Click [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14915670) for Satoshi's side of the story.


End file.
